Just when this story looks like it’s about to go somewhere, it decides to do otherwise. With the T-Wing (really?) about to crash in midtown Manhattan, the Teen Titans are thrown into the fray between the not-so-Teen Titans and Jericho. Jericho claims to be trying to kill the Titans and makes no bones about it, playing upon the bonds of family to attempt to sway his half-sister, Ravager, to join him in his quest. Beyond that, this issue is exceptionally thin on plot, save for a quiet interlude where Beast Boy whines about the tragedy of his love life to a catatonic Cyborg.

The skirmish in Manhattan peels into a couple different directions and all of them dovetail right back to conveniently accomplish virtually nothing. By the end of the issue, Jericho hasn’t killed any Titans, nor has he been captured, but the Vigilante has surrendered and there’s a bit of squabbling among the Teen Titans who, somehow, seem to operate as a team slightly better than their senior counterparts despite their relative inexperience together.

The art is capably handled by Joe Bennett, who seems to have lost the edge a bit since his days of handling both “Hawkman” and “Birds of Prey.” Many of his figures fall into a clone status facially, if not completely. Some of the faces are painfully elongated without the help of gingold, while other faces walk the androgynous tightrope with great precariousness. I know Bennett can do better; I just hope he does.

With this being the third installment of the “Deathtrap” story, it baffles me that nothing of substance has truly occurred. DC killed more Titans in three pages of “Infinite Crisis” than those lost over the span of three issues in this “Deathtrap”.

As someone who’s read a LOT of Titans comics, this issue — this whole “Deathtrap” storyline — just seems stale. I’ve got the feeling we’ve been here, done this, and we might even have the t-shirt.